Story Built on Strong Foundations
by alyssialui
Summary: A collection of unrelated drabbles for the Character Pyramid Competition, featuring a variety characters from the overlooked to the most important. Currently: Hestia wishes the Dursleys understood their nephew better.
1. Doubts

_A/N: Frank second-guesses the feelings he's been getting from the Riddle House. Kind of difficult to write about a character who died right after he was introduced._

_Submission for:_

_**Character Pyramid Challenge: **Frank Bryce. Second guessing._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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><p>Frank sat in his worn-out armchair, concentrating on minimizing the trembling of his hand as he brought the hot mug of tea to his lips. The call of the umpire on the small telly kotched on the edge of the dining table sounded through his small cottage on the grounds of the abandoned Riddle Manor. He had been the caretaker for a few years now, and though the inhabitants of the Manor had died years before, he stayed on, working in the gardens when his joints weren't acting up.<p>

There was a loud bang outside, breaking his concentration. The mug slipped, burning his hand before shattering on the floor to the right of his chair.

Frank rose to his feet, cradling his hand to his chest as he ambled towards the kitchen sink as quickly as his stiff leg would allow. He cast a worried look outside his window, the Riddle House standing impassively on the slight hill a distance away. Lately, there had been strange banging and clanging going in there. The villagers thought it to be haunted.

Now Frank never believed in ghosts, but he couldn't deny the strange aura he felt radiating from the house in the past month. Something was going on, something he had never experienced in all his years working on the grounds, something evil. He should go and investigate. It could be hoodlums, or ratty children doing god-know-what in there.

But as the cool water ran over his scalded hand, Frank averted his eyes from the dark structure and began second-guessing himself. It was probably nothing to get worked up over, probably part of the floor finally giving away to age and time.

He walked back to his chair with a fresh, though less-filled, cup of tea, cursing himself for thinking such horrid thoughts and getting worked up over nothing.


	2. Daddy's Little Girl

_A/N: Bill watches Victoire from the window._

_Submission for:_

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): **Astronomy Assignment #1 - Write about a protective member of any type of relationship._

_**Character Pyramid Challenge: **Bill Weasley. Turquoise._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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><p>Bill crosses his arms as he looks out the window to the quiet backyard of his old childhood home. He can remember running up and down the same fields with his many siblings, laughing, smiling, and just being happy. He can also see his siblings as they were once were, running about with him and enjoying the pleasant afternoon.<p>

He had always been the protective older brother. As the oldest, it was his job to ensure his siblings happiness as well, to help Charlie climb the tallest tree in the orchard, to stop Fred and George from picking on Percy, to carry Ron when his feet got tired and to comfort Ginny when she cried late at night.

But those days are gone. Today is a different day. There are only two persons outside in the backyard. They are teenagers, both young and foolish, as foolish as he was at that age. They both think that love is the only thing that someone needs in this world to survive, that they only need each other. He can remember when he would stare into Fleur's eyes and think the same but then reality hit, and the war and the destruction and the death and-

"Stop worrying," he hears a soft murmur before his wife sidles up beside him and stares out the window herself. "We have told her about the dangers of boys and getting caught up too fast. There is no war like in our time to tear them apart, and they are well loved and cared for by our family. Let her be in love and stop watching her so closely."

"But what if he breaks her heart? What if he makes her cry?" he asks, because that's the one thing he feels helpless to save or protect his little girl from. The protective feeling is back, maybe even stronger than before since this is his own flesh and blood. He can remember her birth and the joy and amazement he felt that day. He can remember her small smiles in the morning and her many tears at night, and he wants to keep her innocent forever.

"Then we comfort her and love her just the same. We bring her back to happiness and show her that there is more to life than a broken heart," his wife says as she unfolds his arms and leans into his chest, wrapping him in a warm embrace.

Then she grins and adds, "And you can hunt down Teddy to your heart's content."

Bill smiles back and gives one more look at the backyard, watching as his oldest daughter pulls the turquoise-haired boy behind a tree and out of his line of sight, probably knowing he had been watching her from the house the whole time.

Fleur was right. They had raised her right and she would make the right decision. He had nothing to worry about and he would always be there to pick up the pieces if needs be. He would always be there for his little girl.


	3. Who Would?

_A/N: Who will take a stand within Hogwart's walls?_

_Submission for:_

_**Character Pyramid Challenge**__**: **__Level One: Filius Flitwick, bridge_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

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><p>Filius walked about his quarters, his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast. These were dark times where tongues were held and heads were turned from the occurrences that were happening within and without the castle.<p>

He pinched the bridge of his nose before a glint of gold caught his eye. "Filius Flitwick: Champion Duellist 1945", one of many trophies, medals and awards put on display in his trophy cabinet. These he had obtained in his younger years, when he was a professional duellist, when he was unafraid to take a stand against an opponent.

But that was a long time ago and he had aged, his bones had become brittle, he had shrunk, being even shorter than he used to be, and his reflexes had slowed. He was no condition to fight any longer, he was unable to take a stand.

He continued to his bedroom, trying to ignore the question which came to mind: But if he didn't, who would?


	4. Keep Moving

_A/N: Dirk feels like giving up. Set in DH._

_Submission for:_

_**Character Pyramid Challenge**__**: **__Dirk Cresswell. Prompt: Ministry of Magic_

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><p>Dirk leaned against as tree, his chest on fire. "No, no more," he rasped out, his hand over his heart. "I can't go any further."<p>

"Dirk, you have to keep going," Ted said walking up to him. He brushed the fringe of his brown thinning hair out of his face to get a better look into Dirk's face. "You can't stay here."

"No, I'm done, Ted," Dirk said, shaking his head, still unable to catch his breath. "You guys keep going but there's nothing more for me."

Dirk closed his eyes as he tried calm his heart, not seeing as Ted signalled for the Thomas boy to hand him a bottle of water. "You didn't forge your family tree to give up now, Dirk. You didn't stun Dawlish to give up now. You didn't join us in our escape from the Ministry of Magic to give up now. You have to keep moving."

Dirk accepted the bottle of river water and took grateful gulps before wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. It was true, he hadn't gone through all that just to give up in the woods.

"Fine," he said, handing Ted back the bottle. He took a few more deep breaths before giving the kind man and the others a shaky smile. "Let's keep going."


	5. Maybe

_A/N: Hestia wishes the Dursleys understood their nephew better._

_Submission for:_

_**Character Pyramid Challenge**__**: **Hestia Jones. Maybe._

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><p>Hestia watched the large boy out of the corner of her eyes, his swarthy arm uncomfortably warm against her arm. His mother sat on his other side, still dabbing her eyes as she stared out of the window. It still surprised her that these magic-hating Muggles had been Harry Potter's relatives. What was Dumbledore thinking leaving the boy in their care all those years ago? How could they not understand the gravity of the situation, what Harry represented to the Wizarding World?<p>

Maybe if they understood just want happened the night You-Know-Who. An entire population was freed from fear and anxiety, from thinking that every day would be their last if they so much as breathed too loudly.

Maybe if they understood just how much propaganda and slander was being spread about the young boy when he tried to tell the World the truth - the same monster from their nightmares was back and was growing.

Maybe if they understood that their own lives was in danger because that same monster wanted to take out the only person who stood a chance against his rising power, even if the young man looked unassuming and confused. Hestia herself didn't understand that part herself but Harry was their Saviour, their Chosen One.

Hestia sighed, making a bit more distance between herself and the boy. Maybe if they opened their eyes just a bit, they would see that magic, while creating that monster, also had the possibility to be great and wonderful.


End file.
